Heavy rains create hazards along Blue Ridge Parkway

Published
4:43 pm CDT, Friday, May 22, 2020

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Heavy rain over the past week has created multiple road hazards which have led to closures on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Roanoke, Virginia, area, the National Park Service said Friday.

The park service said in a news release that the road is closed from from Milepost 112.4 to Milepost 135.9, from U.S. Route 24 to Adney Gap. Within that closure, a full road closure to motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians is in effect from Milepost 121.4 at U.S. Route 220 to Milepost 135.9 at Adney Gap.

According to the park service, the largest of the hazards involves a full road failure roughly 150 feet (45 meters) long at Milepost 128. Parkway staff also discovered to two smaller slope failures that resulted in debris on the road at both Milepost 119 and 124.

The National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration will assess the issues and determine what repairs are needed, the news release said. Geotechnical and roadway design experts will assess the roadway failures and make recommendations for repairs and restoration. The schedule for repairs isn't known, the park service said.